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dandelionsteph's review against another edition
I flipped to a random page and immediately encountered an extraneous passage of sexual content.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
3.0
This is a gentle-hearted fantasy novel set in an alternate version of Ancient China. There is much here to like, particularly the narrator, young Number Ten Ox, and Li Kao, who describes himself as having a slight flaw in his character. The plot is clever, the humor frequent. Yet something about the style or my mood kept me from being immersed in the story. I liked the characters, but I witnessed their adventures from a slight distance rather than identifying with them.
massmassmarket's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So glad I took a chance on this one. Need to read the other two.
michy7's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love this book. It's fun. It's a never-was story.
luannocracy's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This the kind of sausage-fest fantasy that I used to regularly consume in the late 70s/early 80s without even noticing the lack of any relatable female characters. It’s set in “an ancient China that never was” and features a sort of Holmes and Watson pair traveling around trying to solve mysteries and freeing ghosts from their eternal torments along the way.
misterjay's review against another edition
5.0
There is so much delight and joy in this novel. Hughart writes with a deft, clever style that leaves the reader breathless and racing to turn the pages only to come across a moving bit of poetry or a wry observation about the human condition. Reading this makes me wish he had written more than three novels; reading this makes me glad Subterranean has resurrected the stories because they deserve to be read by everyone over and over again.
violinknitter's review against another edition
5.0
Listening to this on Julie Davis' "Forgotten Classics" podcast. Very fun read.
Update: Finished listening to the book on the podcast this week. So. Much. Fun! I'm so glad Julie chose this book. Fun characters, crazy situations, and a wonderful ending bringing together all the seemingly loose story threads. I'm definitely going to have to track down more Barry Hughart.
Update: Finished listening to the book on the podcast this week. So. Much. Fun! I'm so glad Julie chose this book. Fun characters, crazy situations, and a wonderful ending bringing together all the seemingly loose story threads. I'm definitely going to have to track down more Barry Hughart.
scheu's review against another edition
5.0
I can't think of a book quite like this. BoB is a light-hearted Chinese fantasy that is refreshing and completely enjoyable. Hughart makes the folktales and legends of ancient China seem utterly commonplace and this lends to the surreality of the story. After reading a number of very serious books, I really needed a novel like this!